Conditions: For 3yo+ rated 49–68; 3yo weight-for-age 7lb allowance; penalties for recent winners
Pace Angles: Moderate-to-strong pace expected; Classic Speed and Calibos have both led before, while Betty Bassett and Huggable may press the pace.
Draw Angles: Stalls 1–6 all engaged; on this straight-ish 10f course, Newmarket (July) offers little draw bias, though early pace from mid-to-low can be helpful in steadily-run races.
Strongest Contenders + Main Dangers + Interesting Outsiders
Top Contenders
- Arundel – Progressive
Still lightly raced and has placed on all three runs over 10f. Versatile ground-wise, and now 1lb below his recent second to Made All. Visor sharpened him last time and back at 10f suits better. Reliable and has improvement in him. - Huggable – Promising
Slammed a modest Epsom field by 6l last time, relishing the step up to 10f. That was visually striking and she may still be ahead of her mark despite the penalty. Unexposed at trip and has a potent turn of foot. Strong each-way credentials. - Calibos – Progressive
Improving steadily for blinkers and now raised in grade after easy Class 6 win. Travelled sweetly and kicked clear. Still has upside on just second run at 10f. Yard in decent form and looks the most solid of the 3yo improvers.
Main Dangers
- Classic Speed – Proven but quirky
Capable of form in the 70s when getting easy leads; unpredictable and hard to catch right, but ran well here last autumn and jockey booking is notable. Not straightforward, but can pop up if allowed to dictate. - Gretna Dreams – Resurgent
Second start for new yard and won impressively at Brighton; handles fast ground and has won over 10f. Pat Cosgrave keeps the ride and she’s one of the few genuinely still on the up in this field.
Interesting Outsider
- Betty Bassett – Capable if patient tactics reap reward
Took a small-field Wetherby race in June and ran fairly in stronger company since. Drops in grade and gets Billy Loughnane on board. May need to be played late, but has one of the better pedigrees on show.
Runner Scores and Suitability Analysis
- Arundel: 8/10 – Well-handicapped now, acts at trip, strong record over 10f
- Huggable: 8/10 – Improved sharply up in trip, interesting on second try at 10f
- Calibos: 7/10 – Comes here in form, acts on ground, minor stamina doubt over strongly-run 10f
- Classic Speed: 6/10 – Course form and potential for solo lead, but risky proposition
- Gretna Dreams: 7/10 – Upward curve since yard switch, strong jockey booking
- Betty Bassett: 6/10 – Slight stamina question, but scope on pedigree and down in class
- Horses rated 5/10 or lower: No clear case to be made for the remainder based on pace, form or conditions today
Advisories:
Keep an eye on the market for support or big drifts for runners returning from layoffs of 90+ days.
Watch out for in-form handicappers returning quickly; they can be hot.
Each-Way Angles
With 8 runners, each-way options are in play:
- Huggable: Trainer has found a good spot under penalty; may be hard to peg back with handy sit
- Gretna Dreams: Second start for new yard, quick return, improving profile
Private Tissue Estimate
- Arundel 7/2
- Huggable 4/1
- Calibos 9/2
- Gretna Dreams 6/1
- Classic Speed 8/1
- Betty Bassett 10/1
- Others 14/1+
Market watch advised for runners making their 2nd start or first run for a new yard.
Summary + Professional Punter View (Smart Play)
A trappy little handicap but a solid renewal for the grade. Arundel sets the benchmark on proven 10f handicap form and looks the most dependable, but both Huggable and Calibos bring improving 3yo profiles with upside. Huggable’s win at Epsom was visually strong and a similar run gives her major claims under a penalty.
Smart Play
- Win Selection: Arundel – Profile suggests he’s ready to win, returns to ideal trip
- Each-Way Saver: Huggable – Unexposed at trip, major upside off light weight
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